MT Kilimanjaro - fuck you brain tumour trek

Hi, my name is Matt, I’m also know as “The Tumour Killer” thanks to surviving two brain tumours! In September, I’ll be taking on my biggest challenge to date. The biggest and toughest challenge I’ve ever taken on. 

Over 8 days I’ll be trekking my way up Africas highest mountain! (Mount Kilimanjaro) 

you’d think somebody with scoliosis, diabetes, epilepsy, bradycardia and a brain injury would learn to take it easy and not take on huge challenges! But here I am getting ready for my biggest challenge yet! My story starts back In January 2018 I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. A brain tumour that I would soon learn had been missed 8 years before during a routine scan. The tumour was removed the following March with brain surgery (fun fact: you’re actually awake for brain surgery!) 

The first few weeks after surgery were incredibly hard as I had lost all strength on the left side of my body. Over the next few months I began to notice that my mental health had taken a battering. Although I had recovered almost completely in a physical sense, the side effects of brain surgery were starting to take effect mentally. 

I didn’t understand that I was now living with an acquired brain injury (ABI). Thanks to my ABI, I lost a lot of friends and became isolated. I was working full time - often 70/80 hours a week just to prove that I didn’t have a brain injury and by continuing to work in a high stress work environment (a homeless hostel) I was doing more harm than good. I would soon become suicidal as a a result. In January 2019 - just a few days before I was due to fly out to volunteer in South Africa as a means to try and get back on track (mentally), I found out that I had a serious bone eating infection that I'd picked up after the brain surgery - resulting in me having to be sent back to surgery to have a large chunk of skull removed. Eventually, my brain tumour grew back - needing 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy and 12 months of chemotherapy. I tried everything I could to keep my job but by round 2 of chemotherapy my body and my mind just couldn’t handle working anymore. 

I was forced to leave the job I loved. This broke me. I felt useless. I’d never felt so felt so low. Over the next year I started to bounce back. slowly but surely. I soon started giving back. I completed the Yorkshire 3 peaks and Scarfell pike (Englands highest mountain) both while on chemotherapy, Tough Mudders “unholy grail” Mount Toubkal (twice) for charity and even wrote and published a book detailing my journey as a means to help motivate, educate and inspire others. 

 I’m completing this epic challenge for two amazing charities that support people in their ultimate time of need: MacMillan cancer support helped me by coming to appointments with me pre and post brain surgery. They even helped me financially when I lost my job and income. I’ll be forever grateful for their support! 

 The Brain Tumour charity go above and beyond to raise the bar for those suffering with brain tumours but also raising more awareness for such a life changing disease.